The present invention relates to optical scanners employed for optical character recognition (OCR), and more particularly to an improved hand-held optical scanner employed in an OCR system and provided with a plurality of user-programmable function controls.
Optical scanners for specific OCR applications have been in use for some time. Examples of exemplary hand-held scanners are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,947,817 and 4,240,748.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,981 is directed to an automated data entry and display system particularly adapted to reading of bank checks, bonds and like documents, which includes character scanning wand 1 having a keypad 11 containing nine miniature keys 12. A number of the keys are said to be capable of duplicating the functions of keys on a standard keyboard computer terminal, such as the "transmit," "tab forward" and "home" keys. The keys further include an "enable" key to enable the wand output. The patent does not appear to teach the use of an optical scanner having user-programmable control over the functions achieved by the operator controls on the scanner.
It would therefore represent an advance in the art to provide an interactive optical scanner system employing a hand-held optical scanner having a plurality of function keys whose respective functions are programmable by the system user.